Apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive coated tape



March 17, 1953 G. A. GERARD 2,631,562

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND DISPENSING ADHESIVE COATED TAPE Filed June 2, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l FIGI. +3

INVENTOR GEORGEAIGERARD ATTORNEY March 17, 1953 5. A. GERARD 2,631,562

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AND DISPENSING ADHESIVE COATED TAPE Filed June 2, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIG. 2. H63. 12

INVENTOR b fa GEORGE AGERARD 4/6 H6 I 2 6 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED star APPARATUS PREPARING AND DIS:- PENSING ADHESIVE COATED TAPE George A. Gerard, Roselle, J.

Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,711

8 Claims. (01. 118-43) Th-i-sinvention relates to apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive coated tape, and more particularly'to the preparation of pressure sensitive tape such as may now be found in common use.

The primary object of the invention is to coat a'strip of tape with a pressure sensitive-substance as the tape is being withdrawn from the'dev-ice for use.

Another objectis to avoid deterioration of the pressure sensitive coating through age, and to supply freshly coated tape in accordance with thedemand.

A further object is to support in a position for immediate use a length of properly dried pressure sensitive tape, and to render readily accessible the exact amount of tape required.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features means for supporting a roll of tape to which adhesive is to he applied, means supported near the roll supporting means for applying a layer of adhesive to one side of the tape as it leaves the roll of tape, tape guides supported in spaced relation around the ro1isupporting and adhesive applying means for engaging the'untreated side or the tape to which adhesive has been applied and holding said tape in'spaced convolutions around the roll supporting and the adhesive applying means, and a dispenser supported in spacedrelation to the outer convolution of tape on the side thereof remote from the other convolutions for engaging apo'rtion of the treated side of the outer convolution of tape and holding it into position to be manually extracted from the apparatus.

Other features include means for regulating the resistance of the roll of tape to rotary movement, a reservoir for containing adhesive'reinov ably mountedadjacent the roll supporting means, a cylinder carried by the reservoir and extending thereinto 'for emersion in the adhesive contained therein, a porous surface on the cylinder for collecting the adhesive as the cylinder rotates in the reservoir, and means to remove excess adhesive from'the surface of the cylinder to prevent anexcess deposit of adhesive on the tape as it moves with the cylinder.

Other features include a group'of spaced tape guides around which passes adhesive treated tape in spaced convolutions, each guide comprising an arcuate body having spaced parallel arcuate flanges extending outwardly from opposite side edges thereof, said flanges having radial .sl-otseX- tending therethrough and. opening through the outer edges thereof, the slots in one flange registering with those in the other flange, a roller for each slot, trunnions on opposite ends of the rollers and entering registering slots, and a retainer car'- ried by each flange along the edge thereof remote from the arcuate body for closing the ends of the slots and retaining the trunnions therein.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side View of apparatus for .preparing and dispensing adhesive coated tape constructed in accordance with this invention with the cover plate removed,

Figure 2 is an end view of the dispensing end of the device, 7

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along theline S3 of .Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View of the dispensing end of the device with the cover plate, the tape guides, and the adhesive applying apparatus removed,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear side view f the device,

Figure 6 is a detailed view partly in section on an enlarged scale of one of the tape guides,

Figure '7 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 7----'! of Figure'6, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail this improved dispenser includes a substantially rectangular plate It which carries at its perimeter an outstanding laterally projecting wall #2, and carried on the face of the plate Hi from which the wall l2 extends and spaced inwardly from said wall 42 are similar outstanding walls l i, t6, idand 2a, which lie in spaced parallel relation to the wall 12 and cooperate therewith in forming a substantially rectangular drying chamber 22, and an inner chamber 24?. Carried by the plate it and projecting therefrom on the side opposite the walls 92, it, it, it and Eli-is a boss 2% having anaxial opening v23 extending therethrough, the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter described. Formed in the plate l fl near the lower'right hand corner thereof when viewed as in Figures 1 and 4, is -an 'irregularly shaped opening 36 for the reception of the reservoir which will be more fully hereinafter described. Projecting inwardly .r'rorn th'e'wa'll [0 adjacenteach corner thereof is a group-of .p'ads 32 upon which the tape guides are mounted. A similar padtt is carried by the walllt adjacent the wall 2 at the dispensingend of the device, and projecting outwardly rrom the wall 12 inter-- mediate the ends thereof at the dispensing end of the device is a bracket 35 having an upwardly opening recess 38 extending transversally therethrough which cooperates with the bracket 36 in forming a dispenser 4B which supports a portion of the treated tape in a position to be grasped by the fingers of the user preparatory to extracting a length of tape from the device. The wall I2 in the vicinity of the dispenser All is provided with an opening 42 through which the tape is extracted from the interior of the device. A wall section 2% is carried by the body It between the wall 20 and the dispenser 4B, and is offset from the wall 29 to form a passage 29b as will be readily understood upon reference to Figures 1 and 4. Each of the wall sections I I, I6, I8 and 29 is provided with an inwardly extending lug t4, and each lug is provided with an internally screw threaded opening 46 for the reception of attaching screws 48 (Fig. 2) by which a cover plate designated generally it is detachably connected to the device. Extending through the plate it and opening into the chamber 22 at the side thereof remote from the dispenser 43 is an opening 52 through which a blast of air from a suitable air heater (not shown) may enter the chamber 22 in order to aid in drying adhesive which has been applied to the tape before it reaches the dispenser 20.

To cover plate 50 above referred to comprises a substantially rectangular body 54 having a relatively large opening 56 extending therethrough which aligns axially with the opening 23, to facilitate the mounting and demounting of a roll of tape on the tape supporting drum to be more fully hereinafter described. This rectangular plate 54 is also provided with an elongated opening 58 which when the plate is in place registers with the irregular opening 39 in the plate It to accommodate the adhesive applying apparatus previously referred to.

Fixed in the opening 28 in the boss 26 is a stud 60 which projects into the chamber 24 and through the opening 56 and is provided adjacent its end remote from the boss 2% with external screw threads 82 on which knurled hand nuts 64 and 65 are mounted. Supported on the stud 60 between the nuts 64 and t6 and the wall or body IG are friction discs 68 and IE1. A pressure disc I2 surrounds the stud St! between the friction disc it and the thumb nut 64, and mounted for rotation on the stud 65 between the friction discs 68 and It is a drum 14 upon which is mounted a roll of tape T to be treated. It will thus be seen that by turning the thumb nuts 64 and 66 on the stud Bil, the friction discs 68 and It will exert controlled pressure on opposite sides of the drum i4 so that its resistance to turning may be overned.

Extending through the opening 30 in the body I is the reservoir It of the adhesive applying unit designated generally I8, and carried by the reservoir are attaching flanges 80 which bear against the body It adjacent the side thereof remote from the wall I2, and extending through these attaching flanges and into threaded openings in the body It are screws 82 by which, the adhesive applying unit 18 is removably mounted on the body II). Formed on the reservoir 46 of the adhesive applying unit It is an upstanding boss 84 having an opening 86 extending therethrough in which a shaft 88 is mounted to rotate. This shaft extends through the opening 30 into the chamber 24 and carries on the end within the chamber a cylinder 99 which projects into the reservoir and has its lower edge submerged in adhesive contained in the reservoir. In the preferred form of the invention the cylinder as is provided on its circumference with suitable indentations 92 which serve to collect adhesive and carry it upwardly as the cylinder rotates. A suitable hand wheel 3 is fixed to the shaft 83 at the end thereof remote from the cylinder 99 which serves in conjunction with a shoulder 96 formed on the shaft 88 to hold the shaft in proper position in the boss 84. Extending upwardly from the reservoir IS adjacent opposite ends thereof are bosses $33 and 86 in which horizontally extending studs I92 and I94 are secured. These studs I92 and I64 lie along axes which lie parallel with the axis of the shaft 88, and project through the irregular opening 39 into the chamber 24 as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure l. Mounted for rotation on the stud I06 is a guide roller I04, and a similar guide roller IE6 is mounted for rotation on the stud I92; both rollers I84 and I138 being located within the chamber 24 so that tape T leaving the roll pass beneath the roller IIl l, thence over the cylinder so and beneath the roller H36. In this way one side of the tape T becomes coated with the adhesive carried by the screen 92 on the cylinder 99. Secured to the under side of the top wall of the reservoir I8 near the upstanding boss 84 is a spiral spring tea which projects into the chamber 26 and carries at its end within the chamher a scraper blade IIEl which engages the outer surface of the screen band 92 to remove excess adhesive therefrom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that tape T leaving the roll which is mounted on the drum I and passing through the adhesive applying unit I8 will by reason of the location of the roller I06 of said unit be delivered beneath the lower end of the wall 20, through the passage 20b into the chamber 22.

In order to support the tape T in spaced convolutions in the chamber 22 I provide adjacent each corner of the rectangular body It a group of spaced guides each designated generally II2. Each such guide comprises a substantially arcuate body IM which carries along opposite side edges outwardly extending arcuate flanges IIB. These flanges are provided with circumferentially spaced radial slots H8 which open outwardly through the edges of the flanges as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 6. The slots in opposite flanges register with one another to receive the trunnions I20 of guide rollers I22, and extending around the outer edges of the flanges H6 are retaining members 525 which extend across and close the open ends of the slots H8 to prevent the .trunnions I25 of the rollers I22 from leaving their respective slots II8. A suitable triangular lug I26 is carried by the body H4 and extending through said lug is a countersunk opening I28 for the reception of a suitable attaching screw I30 by which the guide H2 is mounted on a boss 32. By mounting the tape guides II2 as indicated in Figure 1 in the chamber 22, it will be seen that tape leaving the roller I86 and passing upwardly through the passage 202) will be guided by the tape guides [I2 in a series of spaced convolutions through the chamber 22 and around the chamber 24 and the drum I4 and adhesive applying unit 18. Leaving the outermost tape guide H2 at the lower right hand orner or the chamber 22, the tape '1? is carriedupwardly over a tape guide designated generally I32, the upper deliver'y end of which lies in a plane with the top of the dispenser it so that the tape issuing from the tape guide I32 will bridge the recess 38 to enable the user to grip the tape by passing his fingers through the recess. The tape guide I3 2 is identical in construction with thetape guides II2 with the exception that the peripheries of the rolls con= tained in thetape guide I32 are knurled.

In use it will be understood that arch of uncoated tape is mounted on the drum it by passing it through the opening at in the cover plate 50. The tape is then threaded from the roll downwardly beneath the roller 1M and over the cylinder 90 from whence it is passed beneath the roller H36 and upwardly and through the passage Zilb to the innermost tape guide H2 in the upper right hand corner of the device when viewed as in Figure 1. The tape is then passed horizontally over the tape guide H2 at the upper left hand corner and thence downwardly through the chamber 22 aroundthe tape guide at the lower left hand corner of the device from whence it passes horizontally to the innermost tape guide H2 at the lower right hand corner of the device from whence it passes upwardly over the intermediate tape guide H2 in the upper right hand corner of the device. The tape continues on around the tape guides as previously described until it reaches the outermost tape guide H2 in the lower right hand corner of the device from whence it passes upwardly and over the tape guide I32 from which it is delivered horizontally on substantially a level with the upper edge of the dispenser 48 so as I to bridge the opening or recess 33 in the bracket 36. If so desired a suitable serrated cutting knife I34 may be attached to the dispenser 46 as suggested in Figure I so that when a user passes his finger through the recess 38 beneath the horizontally extending portion of the tape supported by the dispenser and grips the tape to pull it out of the apparatus, he may by moving the tape downwardly against the serrated edge of the blade I34 sever the length of tape desired from the remainder of the tape and at the same time cause the tape to contact the upper surface of the dispenser 453 so that it will be held for a repeat operation. The indentations 92 encircling a drum 90 assure adequate supply of adhesive to the tape and the scraper III! serves to prevent an excess amount of adhesive from being delivered to the tape. Should it be so desired a suitable air delivery and heating unit may be used in conjunction with the device and so coupled thereto as to deliver air through the opening 52 into the drying chamber 22, and since the treated tape is suspended in a series of spaced convolutions within the drying chamber 22 it is evident that adequate circulation of air across the coated side of the tape may be had so as to deliver tape to the dispenser with the adhesive in proper condition for use. Owing to the fact that the tape in the roll is devoid of an adhesive coating, it is evident that serious loss through age of the roll tape cannot result.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without 6 departing from the spirit and scope vention as claimed.

I claiin:

1. In apparatus for pre aring and dispensing adhesive treated tape, means for supporting a roll of tape to which adhesive-is to be applied, means supported near the roll supporting means for applying a layer of adhesive to one side of the tape as it leaves the'i-oll or tape, tape guides supported in spaced'reiation around the roll sill porting and adhesive applying means for en-' seems the untreated side'of the tape to which adhesive has been applied and holding said tape in spaced convolutions aroi'ind the roll support ing and the adhesive applying means, and a "dis peiiser supported in spaced relation to the outer convolution of tape on the side thereof remote from the other convolutions for engaging a portion of the treated side of the outer convolu= tion of tape and holding it in position to be manually extracted from the apparatus.

2. in apparatus for preparing and dispersing adhesive treated tape, means for supporting a roll of tape to which adhesive is to be applied, an adhesive carrying cylinder mounted for rotation adjacent the roll supporting means over which tape from a roll of tape on the roll sup porting means passes after it leaves the roll and which applies adhesive to one side of thetape, spaced tape guides supported around the roll sup-'- porting means and cylinder in spaced relation thereto for engaging untreated side of the tape after it leaves the cylinder and holding it in spaced convolutions around the cylinder and the roll supporting means, and a dispenser supported in spaced relation to the outer convolution of tape on the side thereof remote from the other comvolution for engaging a position of the treated side of the outer convolution of tape and holding it in position for manual extraction from the apparatus.

3. In apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive coated tape, a support, a tape roll' supporting drum carried by the support for rotation about a horizontal axis, an adhesive carrying cylinder carried by the support for rotation about an axis which lies parallel with the horizontal axis, said cylinder engaging the tape and applying adhesive to one side thereof, spaced tape guides carried by the support in spaced relation to the drum and to the cylinder upon which treated tape after leaving the cylinder is supported in spaced convolutions with its treated side outwardly and a treated tape dispenser carried by the support in spaced relation to the outer convolution of tape for engaging a portion of the treated side of the outer convolution of tape and holding it in position for manual extraction from the apparatus.

4. In apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive coated tape, a support, a tape r011 supporting drum carried by the support for rotation about a horizontal axis, an adhesive carrying cylinder carried by the support for rotation about an axis which lies parallel with the horizontal axis, said cylinder engaging the tape and applying adhesive to one side thereof, spaced tape guides carried by the support in spaced relation to the drum and to the cylinder upon which treated tape after leaving the cylinder is supported in spaced convolutions with its treated side outwardly, a wall carried by the support and extending around the perimeter thereof in spaced at the relation to the outer convolution of treated tape, and a dispenser carried by the wall for engaging the treated side of a portion of the outer convolution of tape and holding it in a position for manual extraction from the apparatus.

5. In apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive treated tape, a rectangular support, a tape roll carrying drum carried by the support for rotation about a horizontal axis, said support having an opening extending therethrough near the drum, adhesive applying apparatus extending through said opening, said apparatus having an adhesive carrying cylinder over which passes one side of the tape from a roll of tape carried by the drum, a group of tape guides carried by the support adjacent each corner thereof for engaging the untreated side of the tape after it leaves the cylinder and supporting said tape in spaced convolutions around the drum and the cylinder, and a dispenser mounted on the support adjacent the outermost convolution for engaging a portion of the treated side of the outer convolution of tape and holding it in a position for manual extraction from the apparatus.

6. In apparatus for preparing and dispensing adhesive treated tape, a rectangular support, a tape roll carrying drum carried by the support for rotation about a horizontal axis, said support having an opening extending therethrough near the drum, adhesive applying apparatus extending through said opening, said apparatus having an adhesive carrying cylinder over which passes one side of the tap from a roll of tape carried by the drum, a group of tape guides carried by the support adjacent each corner thereof for engaging the untreated side of the tape after it leaves the cylinder and supporting said tape in spaced convolutions around the drum and the cylinder, a wall carried by the support adjacent the perimeter thereof in spaced relation to the outer convolution of tape, and a dispenser carried by said wall for engaging a portion of the treated side of the outer convolution of tape and holding it in position to be manually extracted from the apparatus.

7. A mechanism for making pressure sensitive adhesive tape by applying a pressure sensitive rubber-like adhesive thereto in a central rectangular chamber followed by drying and dispensing in and from an encircling outside rectangular chamber which comprises providing a double casing having a first coating central chamber and a second outside drying chamber enclosing said first chamber, a roll of tape sup-ported in said first chamber, a transverse shaft for receiving said roll of tape and a roller coater also in said first chamber for applying a rubber adhesive coating to one side of said tape as it is unrolled from said roll of tape and guides including a plurality of spaced guide rollers at the corners of the outside chamber, said rollers contacting and carrying the said tape on its uncoated side and guiding the coated tape while the same is dried and a dispenser at one side of said casing to dispense the dried coated tape, said outside chamber having openings at opposite ends thereof to permit the blast of hot air to be passed through the outside chamber to dry said coating while said tape is passing through said second chamber over said rollers.

8. The mechanism of claim 7, said central chamber being separated from said outside chamber by a plurality of partitions extending between said guide rollers with the rollers acting to close the openings between the ends of said partitions at the corners.

GEORGE A. GERARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 360,373 Chester Mar. 29, 1887 772,695 Crowell Oct. 18, 1904 1,178,577 Crowell Apr. 11, 1916 1,340,710 Grahm May 18, 1920 1,384,081 Mortimer July 12, 1921 1,700,099 Shively Jan. 22, 1929 1,747,441 Hummel Feb. 18, 1930 2,365,322 Ashworth Dec. 19, 1944 2,483,652 Lee Oct. 4, 1949 2,512,221 Bixby June 20, 1950 2,531,913 Kaim Nov. 28, 1950 

